Bitter Chocolate
by Faeriefire
Summary: One shot Miego piece featuring a few days before Mia's first trial.


**Hello there  
**

_ Thank for for reading, this is my first piece on here. Feel free to leave a review, comments are encouraging, helpful, and supportive, good or bad. _

_As I might add, I do not own any characters, they are all Capcom's work, I am merely a dreamer of days that were not focused on.  
_

_Now, might I present, Bitter Chocolate.  
_

* * *

**_-Date: February 14th, 2026. Time: ? Location: ?-_**

Valentine's Day, a day for love, corporate money schemes, and of course for the lonely ones. One particularly lonely one sat by a window, his coffee cup in hand. It was a nice day for February outside, but he didn't know, he couldn't tell from his lack of sight his dead gray eyes failed to produce. He probably didn't care either; to him this was just another day anymore. Ever since he had died, ever since he had lost his Kitten. No day was new anymore, none held splendor or joy. This was simply a normal day that everyone else decided to gush over.

**_-Date: February 13th, 2012 Time: 15:00 Location: Grossburg law office-_**

"Mr. Armando? Do you like chocolate?"  
Mia Fey, a young female attorney asked as she approached her mentor's desk. Diego Armando was a cocky man, and it showed ever so clearly on his face with his smirk clear over his coffee cup.

"Is that a pickup line, Kitten? Let me tell you now, I love the confidence, but the delivery is still weak. The fact that it's slightly provocative is a bonus though." He said in his cool, Cuban accented voice as he leaned back in his chair.

Mia was rolling her eyes, hands on her hips. She was clearly not enjoying his behavior. "I'm being serious, Mr. Armando. You could try not flirting for once in your life, you know? I was just asking a simple question, could you not give me a straight answer?" She huffed.

"Why do you want to know if I like chocolate, Kitten?"

Mia seemed to fidget at Diego's question, the shade of pink in her cheeks hinting. "N-No reason. I was just curious is all."

Diego's smirk only grew as he drew a long sip from his cup. He loved it when Kittens blushed for him "Well then, to answer your original question, not too much. I find it too sweet, even dark chocolates. I think it should be like coffee, bitter."

Mia scrunched up her face at this. Coffee bitter chocolate? It sounded nasty. But what did she expect? This was Diego Armando, the coffee fiend of the office. There was a reason he had his own coffee pot and stash of beans in his office. He drank his coffee black, and easily went through multiple pots in a day.

"What's that face for, Kitten? Don't like my answer? Sorry, I just don't have a sweet tooth. If you're trying to pawn candy off on me you didn't like, you might try Richard. Just try to not spoil him too much, he might try and read into it."

Mia nodded. "Thanks for the advice, Mr. Armando. I'll keep that in mind." She gave him a small smile before leaving his office. She had to prepare for tomorrow, February 14th.

**_-Date: February 13th, 2012 Time:18:23 Location: Mia Fey's apartment-_**

"Now how do you make chocolate?" Mia muttered to herself as she poured over a cook book. She hadn't ever done anything like this before, and she was mediocre at cooking. Making her own chocolate seemed complex, but she wanted to do something nice for Diego since he did so much for her.  
She really did look up to him; he had been a really good mentor to her in her time working at the law office of Grossburg and company. He had taken her on his own cases, showing her the ropes; she was even allowed to sit with him in his court trials to pick up on his tricks. The best part yet was he was helping her get a case of her own because he felt she was 'ready'.

She kept pouring over her books; there were at least half a dozen recipes in here for different chocolates. Some with strawberries, some with caramel, and even ones with coconut. All of them sounded sweet though, and Mr. Armando wouldn't like that. He wasn't a fan of sweet after all.

"If only there was a coffee chocolate... Maybe he would like that?" She mused to herself as she toyed with the idea. She didn't have a recipe for that, and she didn't have access to the internet here at the moment to look one up there. All the recipes though had similar instructions though. Maybe she could just follow it and instead of adding the strawberries or coconut, mix in coffee beans. That should achieve what she was hoping for, right?

She could only hope as she got to work melting the bitter chocolate morsels. When the cook book asked for sugar, she didn't use any, and of course when it asked for the flavoring ingredients, she mixed in ground up coffee beans, and formed it into lumpy shapes that once cooled would be her chocolate treats. Tired, hot from being over the stove, and covered in chocolate, she stepped away from her creation and smiled. Tomorrow she could give her gift and thank him.

**_-Date: February 14th, 2012 Time: 9:15 Location: Grossburg law office-_**

Mia fey knocked on the large oak door before peeking in, a small wrapped box behind her back. "Mr. Armando?" She said cautiously, Diego lowered his newspaper, a large news article on the front page about an escaped convict.

"Hey, Kitten. What's up?" He asked as he tossed his paper onto his desk and picked up his coffee. Mia crossed the floor, head low as if she was embarrassed. "Everything okay?"

Mia nodded, lifting her head. Her face was flushed, enforcing the idea she was embarrassed, it could only bring a grin to Diego's face.  
"Mr. Armando, how are you today?" She started politely.

"Not bad Kitten for a Tuesday. Just been catching up on some interesting news is all." He said before taking a sip from his cup.

Mia brushed her bangs back a little with a shy smile. "Umm, Mr. Armando, I just..." She took a deep breath, "I wanted to thank you everything you've done for me so far. You've been really good to me. I just wanted to thank you for everything." She said as she placed the box on his desk. Diego stared at it bewildered, it was as if it was the first time a Kitten had ever given him anything. His face became even more surprised when Mia beamed and told him, 'Happy Valentine's day.'

The young woman could hardly contain herself as she watched her mentor remove the ribbon off the box and open it, peering inside at the lumpy chocolates inside. He blinked at them once. Twice! He even tilted his head to the side.  
"Are they Kittens?" He asked as he looked up at Mia as her eyes became wide with embarrassment.

"N-no, I was just... I just laid them out, when they dried they took that form is all."

The Cuban gave his normal cocky laugh as he leaned back in his seat, a piece of the chocolate between his thumb and pointer finger as he looked it over. "Ha! You're such a Kitten that even your chocolate takes that form naturally." He joked. "Thank you very much, Kitten. I've never really gotten a Valentine's day gift before, it means a lot to me."

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Armando. I just hope you like it, it's coffee chocolate, so it should be bitter."

Diego raised his eyebrow at this, smelling the chocolate. Coffee chocolate? He couldn't deny he was curious, so bravely he popped the lumpy shape into his mouth and took a bite. His face at once shriveled up before he continued chewing.

"Is something wrong with it?" Mia asked, her heart sinking at his face. Diego shook his head at once, swallowing.

"Kitten, that's some very bitter chocolate. Once you get over that and accept the taste it's not bad." He chuckled, trying to give her a reassuring smile. "Thank you, it's very thoughtful. I guess you took my words to heart."

Mia's face became redder as she nodded. "I tried to keep them from being sweet. I just hope they're not too bitter."

Diego laughed loudly, his voice booming. "That's the most bitter thing I've ever ate!"

"Sorry, maybe I should have added a little sugar." She said with a shy smile.

Diego stared at her for a moment, his eyes flickering over his paper. "I know it's not as nice as chocolate, but I think I just might have the perfect thing to return to you."

Mia tilted her head curious at what he had. "A gift?"

The coffee crazed attorney shook his head, "I think I have a lead on a case for you." He said as he leaned forward and rotated his paper towards Mia, tapping the news article on the front. Mia looked at it, the news article was announcing about the escape of a death row convict who murdered a police officer, shortly followed by him being recaptured. Mia scanned over the article as Diego kept on talking.

"I talked to Mr. Grossburg, he's actually looking into taking on the case. Richard has turned down the case already, and I know Mr. Lemon Hemorrhoids has his plate full. This could be your first case if you want. We can get the details on it and you can decide from there."

Mia's eyes lit up as she looked up at Diego, "Really? A murder trial? You think I'm ready for that?"

"I think you're more than ready, Kitten. I believe in you."

A warm smile washed over the Fey as she gave the Latino a nod. "Thank you Mr. Armando. You have no idea how much those words mean to me."

Little would she know that trial would change her life just days later, and would send both her and Diego down a downward spiral.

**_-Date: February 14th, 2026. Time: ? Location: ?-_**

Godot continued to stare out of his window, thinking back at all those years at that Valentine's day when he was still that man Diego Armando. He was just a bitter, broken man now. His Kitten gone, the only things left in his life now were his sweet memories and his bitter coffee. That had been their only Valentine 's Day they got to spend together, even though they were not dating at that point, it was still a day they had shared together.

"Happy Valentine's day, my Kitten. I'm thinking of you." He said, his head still facing the window. Today he would remember his loving Kitten and dream of that bitter chocolate.


End file.
